Edwaed w



(No Model.)

B. W. FURRELL.

RAILWAY GAR.

No. 340,206. Patnted Apr; 20, 18-86.

I ilsirran STATES PATENT states.

EDXVARD XV. FURRELL, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO PAUL BAKEWVELL, OF SAME PLACE.

RA! LWAY-CAR.

SPEGIEE Q-JEA'QN forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,206, dated April 20, 1886.

A Application filed February 11, 1886. Serial No. 191,557. No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, EDWARD W. FURRELL, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, now residing in the city of St. Louis, State of Mis: souri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Oars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention has for its object to prevent the telescoping of railroad-cars and the mount ing of one on the othcrincase of collision; also to increase their strength and rigidity, so as to render them less liable to collapse and be broken up in case of leaving the track or other accident 1 Iran cars ofthe ordinary construction.

It consists in the application to the substructure or lower frame-work of a railroadcar of auxiliary or supplementary beams or girders ofiron or steel plate arranged longitudinally from end to end of the car and provided beyond the said ends with continuations or projecting portions forming spigots and faucets alternately, so that when the cars are coupled the Spigots of one carfacc the faucets of the succeeding car, whereby, in the event of the train being in collision or other accident, the spigots will run into the faucets, and the cars be thereby interlockedthe various girders forming, as it were, continuous girders ot'great strength and rigidity throughout the train.

On the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional plan, broken away, of the end portions of the substructures or bottom frameworks of two consecutive railroad-cars fitted with myinvention; Fig. 2,atransverse section on line 1 1 in Fig. 1, to an enlarged scale; and Fig. 3, a front viewof partsof Fig. 1, to an enlarged scale-like letters of reference denoting like parts in all the figures.

A A represent the ordinary substructures or lower frame-works, (broken away,) respectively, of two consecutive railroad-cars.

Between the transverse or end sills, B, of

each frame-work A, I arrange two or more longitudinal beams or girders, G, ofiron or steel plating, parallel to one another and equidistant from the center line of the frame-work A. On the ends of the girders O are vertical angle-irons D, which, with the said ends, butt against iron plates E, laid against the inside faces of thesills B. On the outside faces of the latter are similar plates, F. against which, directly in line with or opposite to the ends of the girders O, are placed, respectively, at each end oi'the car a projection, G, constituting a spig- 0t, and projection G, constituting a faucet or socket. Bolts H, passing through the angleiron ends 1) of the girders 0, plates E F, sills B, and angle-iron ends I of the projections G G, firmly secure the various parts together. The spigots G, when the cars are coupled, are normally within the mouths of the faucets or sockets G, which are bell-mouthed or flared at their outer open ends, as shown in the front view thereof, Fig. 3. to allow Sufficient play 5 around the ends of the spigotsG for the oscillation and movements oi the cars under ordinaryvrunning, the space between the ends of the spigots G and the bottoms of the faucets G being equal to that between the front edges of the platforms J, which are indicatcdby dotted lines in Fig. 1.

The girders C may be tubular or rectangular, circular, oval, or any other section, and either flanged and riveted up, as shown in Fig. 2, or built up with angle-irons; or they may be made of double T or any other section, as found most suitable in practice. The girders C may be stiffened vertically by trussiug in a similar manner to thelongitudinal sills of the framing A, and braced together, horizontally'by the cross-stays L or otherwise.

If desired, in order to adapt the invention to the existing rolling-stock,thegirdersG may bedivided into sections, according to the nu1nber of the transverse beams of the frame-work, and united at their ends; or they may be arranged beneath the frame-work A, in lieu of in the same plane therewith, as shown, in

which case the projectionsG G will either be formed by the ends of the girders or bolted directly to them.

The spigot projections G may be made of plate iron or steelin a tubular form, similar to the girders O, and their interiors filled with hard wood or other suitable packing, M, to which the plates toward the ends of the spigot are secured by countersunk screws, and else where by riveted stays N, as shown in Fig. 2.

The faucets G are made of plate iron or zoo steel in a tubular form, built up externally with angle-irons O, secured by countersunk rivets,

so as to present tin-unobstructed and smooth interior for the entrance ofthe spigots G. The 5 bottom ends ofthefaucets G'against the plates F and sills B are filled with hard wood or other packing, P, and the insides of'the faucets G,- between the packing P and the ends of the spigots G, when these are in their normal position, are of the same size and taper as the tapered end portions of the spigots G.

The spigot and faucet projections G G may be braced together horizontally by the crossstays Q, as shown, or otherwise, as found most suitable. On the train beingin collision or other accident, the spigots G will run into the faucets G and be jammed tightly within the inner recesses of the latter until the ends of the spigots G butt against the packiugs P and plates F in the direct line of girders C, and

the cars being thereby interlocked and form-' ing practically a continuous girder uniformly loaded for the entire length of the train, they will be prevented from rising off the track,

25 and the suddenly-checked momentum of the train being transmitted by direct compression longitudinally through. the girders G, the strength and rigidity of the latter will resist the strain and prevent the cars from telescoping,with the consequent smashing and splintering of the wood-work, which is the main cause ol'loss of life to the passengers.

By my invention the present scantlings of the wood-work used in the construction of railroad-cars may be considerably lightened,

: and thus the otherwise extra weight of the girders O compensated.

I claim I In a railroad-car. the application to the lower frame-work of iron orsteel plate girders G, in combination with spigot and faucet projections G G at the ends of the car, substantially as shown, and For the purpose described.

In testimony \vhereofl have afiixed my signature, in presence ot'two witnesses, this 8th day of February. 1886.

EDW ARD V. FURRELL.

\Vituesses:

J 0s. W. CROOKES, EDWIN SAUTER. 

